31 Words You're Definitely Pronouncing Wrong

Watch These People Try to Pronounce Hard-to-Say Words ; acai · 2 · Acai ; applicable · 3 · Applicable ; arctic · 4 · Arctic ; cashe · 5 · Cache ; either · 6 ... 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ViewGallery 32Photos 1of32 WatchThesePeopleTrytoPronounceHard-to-SayWords BetsyFarrell 2of32 Acai Whenyou'rehittingupthelocalsmoothieshop,don'taskforACK-ah-ee,ah-KAIorah-SIGHberries.Theemphasisgoesonthethird(andlast)syllable. BetsyFarrell 3of32 Applicable Thisadjectivestartsliketheappsontheyourphone,nota-PLICK-able. BetsyFarrell 4of32 Arctic Don'tforgetaboutthatfirstC.Somepeopleskipthe"arc"infavorofART-ick,andthesamegoesforAntarctic. BetsyFarrell 5of32 Cache No,thisisn'tasneakyFrenchword.Thetendencytosaycash-AYstemsfromthesimilar-lookingcachet(meaningprestige),whilecachereferstoastorageorhidingplace. BetsyFarrell 6of32 Either YoucoulduseeitherAYE-thurorEEE-thur,butthelatterisMerriam-Webster'spreferredpronunciation. BetsyFarrell 7of32 Espresso Ifyourbaristahasn'tcorrectedyoualready,yourafternoonpick-me-upiscalledanespresso,notanEX-press-o. BetsyFarrell 8of32 February Themonthdoesn'texactlyrolloffthetongue,butitshouldn'tsoundlikeJanuary.TheimpulsetodropthefirstRiscalleddissimilation,accordingtoMerriam-Webster. BetsyFarrell 9of32 Forte Musicbuffsmightpronouncethisoneasfor-TAY,andifyou'retalkingaboutacomposer'snote,thatwouldbecorrect.However,ifreadingsheetmusicisyourstrongpoint,that'salsocalledaforte—nosecondsyllablerequired. BetsyFarrell 10of32 Foyer ThetendencytoaddafancyFrenchsoundstrikesagain.Butwelcomingguestsintoyourfoy-AYdoesn'tmakethebestfirstimpression. BetsyFarrell 11of32 Gala Here'swhereanAYsoundcomesinhandy.Ifyou'reattendingafancyball,itisn'taGAL-uh. BetsyFarrell 12of32 GIF Merriam-WebsterpronouncesthiswithahardG,becausetheword'sactuallyanacronymforgraphicsinterchangeformat.However,itsinventorSteveWilhiteisadamantaboutpronouncingGIFlikethepeanutbutter. BetsyFarrell 13of32 Gyro YouryummyGreekpitashouldn'tsoundlike"gyroscope."OrderaYEE-rohorZHIHR-ohinsteadwhenyou'vegotacravingforyogurtsauce. BetsyFarrell 14of32 Hyperbole Noexaggeration,thisfour-syllablewordhasnothingtodowithbowlsthankstoitsGreekroots.Funfact:Hyperbole'santonymislitotes,meaninganextremeunderstatementandpronouncedLYE-tuh-teez. BetsyFarrell 15of32 Liable Don'tgettheselegaltermsmixedup.Liability(beingobligated)isdifferentfromlibel(adefamatorystatement). BetsyFarrell 16of32 Library JustlikeFebruary,thetwoRsoundsinlibrarymakeproperpronunciationespeciallyhard.Lotsofpeople(evencollegeprofessorsandpresidents!)aredocumentedasskippingoneortheother. BetsyFarrell 17of32 Mauve Whetheryoulikethispurpleycolorornot,itisn'tsupposedtorhymewithstove. BetsyFarrell 18of32 Meme Yearsbeforegrumpycatandsuccesskid,aBritishscientistinventedthewordmemeas"aunitofculturaltransmission"in1976.Whileyoureaditmorethanyouspeakit,aviralhitispronouncedlikephoneme,notmee-mee,may-mayorevenmem. BetsyFarrell 19of32 Mischievous Thispopularmistakepopsupasatypotoo.Don'taddanextraIattheend,asinmis-CHEEV-i-ous. BetsyFarrell 20of32 Often Believeitornot,pronouncingtheTinoftenisofficiallyano-go,accordingtoMerriam-Websteratleast.Thevariantisso"stigmatized"thatthedictionaryevenprecedesitwithanobelusmark(whichlookslikeadivisionsign),meaningthatit"isconsideredbysometobequestionableorunacceptable." BetsyFarrell 21of32 Niche Although"neesh"isincreasinglyaccepted,"nitch"istheolderandmorepopularwaytorefertoaspecializedplaceorrole. BetsyFarrell 22of32 Nuclear TheWhiteHousemayhavethenuclearcodes,butatleastfourpresidents(Bush,Clinton,CarterandEisenhower)havemessedupthisadjective.Theirmistake?Switchingtheadjacentsounds,alinguisticphenomenoncalledmetathesis,accordingtoSlate. BetsyFarrell 23of32 Prelude Whileyoumaybeinchurchwhenlisteningtoaprelude,thefirstsyllabledoesn'tsoundlike"pray."ThisnounandverbstemsfromtheLatinwordpraeludere,meaningtoplaybeforehand. BetsyFarrell 24of32 Pronunciation Coincidentally,pronunciationisn'talwayspronouncedright,probablybecausetheverbformcontainsthesyllable"noun"whilethenoun(counterintuitively)doesnot. BetsyFarrell 25of32 Regardless Eversincethe1920s,peoplehavecombinedthewordsirrespectiveandregardlessintotheverynonstandard"irregardless."Almostacenturylater,it'sstillabigno-no. BetsyFarrell 26of32 Regime Nomatteritspoliticalleanings,aregimedoesn'tsoundlikeRUH-geem. BetsyFarrell 27of32 Sherbet Let'ssettlethesherbet-sherbertdebateforgood.OriginallyfromtheTurkishandPersianwordsşerbetandsharbat,there'sneverbeenandneverwillbeasecond"r"inthelastsyllable.Andincaseyou'rewondering,theflavorediceiscalledsor-BAY,notSOR-bet. BetsyFarrell 28of32 Status Ifyou'vebeenmispronouncingthisasSTAH-tusyourwholelife,you'renotalone.Butit'snevertoolatetogetitright! BetsyFarrell 29of32 Suite Yourhotelroomisprobablyprettysweet,regardlessofwhetheryou'rewearingasuit.(Anddon'teventhinkaboutsayingsue-TAY.) BetsyFarrell 30of32 Transient Meaningfleetingortemporary,transientcanrefertoamood,visitorjob,tonameafewuses.Justdon'tmistakenlysaytran-ZEE-ent. Next TheMostDramaticNewYear'sEveTVMomentsEver Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow CarolinePicard CarolinewastheHealthEditoratGoodHousekeeping.comupuntillate2019,whereshecoverednutrition,fitness,wellness,andotherlifestylenews. MoreFrom Life 'AmericanNinjaWarrior'FansAreGoingOffonIG 'NCIS:Hawaii'StarVanessaLachey’sDancesonIG Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow JenniferLopezBlaststheGuestWhoLeakedFootage NicoleKidmanLooksUnrecognizableWithRedBob PalaceAidesAre"Worried"AboutMeghan'sPodcast HowIRealizedMyParentingWasPrettyHands-Off OliviaWildeonBreakingUpwithJasonSudeikis HallmarkFansAreEmotionalOverLaceyChabertIG AlltheDetailsAboutthe'CriminalMinds'Reboot 'OnlyMurdersintheBuilding'Season3Details